A Heart Like My Own
by Rae chan1
Summary: Two lost souls... one finding her past and one finding her future. *changes have been made from the original*
1. Dusty Roads

~A Heart Like My Own~

Chapter One: Dusty Roads

Wind rippled around the dark figure walking down the dusty sand road. Her silver-blue hair, restricted from her face by a loose braid that ended at the joint of her knees, came somewhat undone and flew behind her violently.

She was dressed plainly for a vampire hunter: black hooded cloak, black skintight pants and shirt, black boots and a weapon-clad belt.

Her name: Naiona Link. Her background kept secret for almost a century, she didn't tell anyone her secrets. She didn't even want to remind herself.

~@~

A quaint little town opened into Naiona's line of line of vision. She continued to walk, cape billowing, towards the town. Her narrowed gray eyes scanned the road in front of her; all carriages moved out of the street, people moved to sidewalks and porches to watch the passing newcomer.

Gasps and whispers echoed through the gawking population. They obviously had rarely seen a hunter walk into their small world.

But as soon as it started, the townsfolk's glances and comments seemed to shift away to behind Naiona.

"Look, it's that dun peal again!"

"What do you think he wants from us?"

When one woman shrieked 'dun peal?!' and collapsed, Naiona casually pivoted in her place and took a long look at this 'dun peal'.

He had dark brown hair and was dressed very similar to Naiona. Only two things were different: he had a cyborg horse and his hat, with its wide rim, hid his face from the sunlight.

Naiona scoffed at him at the moment a woman whispered to another that he was the only dun peal left alive. Her back became as rigid as a board and said quietly to him, "You're not the only _one_ dun peal." Dust kicked up as she turned once more and headed for the saloon.

The dun peal just followed her, silently hoping his assumptions were true.

~@~

Naiona's leather-bound hand clasped the glass and poured herself a tall one. Sitting at the bar, being stared by everyone who wasn't drunk, she could honestly say she wasn't having a grand time. This was just a stop before she headed back on her journey.

She started thinking about maybe asking for a ride from one of the locals when she heard a low-pitched "Hello" at her side.

The dun peal sat to her right, staring off into space like he knew her forever. His eyes were trained on one shiny blue bottle at the other end of the bar.

Before she could say anything to him, he asked, "Now I have seen many things over the course of time, but what are you?"

The dun peal had never been around a being like her; never saw one like her, heard one like her, or felt an energy like hers. There was something wrong here.

Her voice was slightly slurred. "I told you already. I'm one of you, and no, you didn't ask."

Silence brewed between them as they sat and she drank. Her right hand, he noticed, was bound up with leather.

"Why..." he stopped himself from asking why one of her hands was covered and not the other, but why shouldn't she? Didn't he do the same thing?

Okay. So he wasn't the only dun peal anymore. Probably hadn't been for quite a while, judging by this woman's charisma.

"Look, I have to go," she said suddenly, breaking his train of thought. "Sorry to leave all this fun," she added with extra sarcasm, "but i have somewhere to go and soon. Goodbye, dun peal."

"It's D."

"Whatever." She grabbed the wine bottle and hopped down off her seat. A small, brown satchel filled with silver was thrown from behind D's back onto the counter and she suddenly fell - very ungracefully to boot - into the dun peal's lap.

"Uh…" D lifted her up by the scruff of her collar and lifted her out of his lap. He looked at her face and discovered that she was soundly unconscious. 

He had two choices. One: leave this woman somewhere and get back on his horse. Two: take her with him and take her to where she was going. To him there was only one thing left to do.

He had to take her with him.

Taking care to lift her up safely in front of him, he nudged the crimson sorrel into a slow and peaceful gait.

_This should be interesting._

~*~

A/n: I'm re-introducing my re-written version of 'A Heart Like My Own'. If someone **still** has a problem with this, email me. I will not tolerate another round of flames.

__

This is an original fic made by Rae chan. This fic contains no stolen ideas from any other fic and is purely from the imagination of the authoress.

Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Hunter D or any of its characters. I own Naiona and the plot.


	2. A Link To Their Pasts

~@~ A Link To Their Pasts ~@~

Naiona settled into the hard leather saddle for the thousandth time. Her backside was on fire, not to mention her thighs. Riding was not something she enjoyed.

"Why are we going this way?" she asked as D yanked on the reins, taking a sharp right through two narrow trees.

"I have to visit an old friend."

The small path opened up into a large clearing, with a stream bubbling pure water.

Naiona watched as tombstones passed her, reading dates from over five hundred years before her birth.

"D?" she asked, quietly sighing at an old man and child who were lying flowers down beside a grave.

"Hn?"

"Who was she?"

__

She? Did I say something about her? "Who was who?" he asked, trying to keep away things he didn't care to explain.

He stopped at one grave in particular, pulling the horse to a stop with one hand and helping Naiona down with the other.

As soon as the stood before the stone together, Naiona answered him. "Her," she said, pointing at the ivy-covered resting place.

An angel with outspread wings and arms beckoned their attention; ivy grew up and curled around every limb, and ever-so-carefully, the name 'Leila' was inscribed on the pedestal under the angel's feet.

D spoke softly, in tones he was used to. His head lowered, his mind sending up a silent prayer.

"She was a great woman. She told me the way it was, between humans and vampires. The way they could stay together forever, but at a very costly price." His voice was deep and meaningful, while Naiona's showed hints of understanding.

"Mother..." she whispered, softly enough that D casually shrugged it off, but remembered it in case it was anything important.

After placing a budding rose in the angel's hand, he walked away, leaving Naiona to follow closely behind.

~@~

After riding for another hour more, D was becoming a bit suspicious. The woman in front of him looked no older than her early twenties, and when standing, she topped off at the very base of his shoulders.

Her long, silvery blue hair looked older than she did. Which was understandable. _She must have grown it since childhood,_ he thought to himself. The loose strands would sometimes fly back and tickle his face, but he just brushed them aside with his fingertip, lingering only a moment to feel how soft they were against his callused skin.

"What's your name?" he asked, softly.

"Is it that important? All I need is a ride to the Castle of Chaythe and you'll never see me again." 

His mind screamed at him to just desert her in the middle of this forest before heading to that haunted hell hold, but his mouth said something different. "If you must share my company and my horse for that long, then yes."

Crickets chirped in the shaded forest; the sun began to set in the evening sky. Pinks and purples illuminated the forest around them.

"Naiona," she said, softly cursing herself inwardly for not giving him a false name. But after all, he seemed like no stranger at all. In fact, he started to feel more like her protector.

__

Will he protect me? she asked herself under her hooded cloak. _Or will he desert me?_

~@~

TBC

**__**

A/n: Naiona isn't drunk anymore and they're on their way to somewhere… where is Naiona going to lead D to? Or is he going to lead her somewhere? Find out in the next chapter!


	3. A New Consideration

**A Heart Like My Own**

**Chapter 3: A New Consideration**

The ride was silent, with the only exception of outdoor noises. Crickets played beautiful nighttime melodies that fireflies danced to; tall grasses and trees swayed by the wind's warm breath.

Naiona thought as she rode with D about her future, something that she rarely cared about. She knew she was a slayer, cursed by birth and that was her only mission: to slay vampires that fought and killed without a cause.

Why did her parents have to conceive her? It wasn't fair to be labeled a dun peal. It certainly wasn't fun.

The blue haired woman dropped her head in an almost sleepy manner.

"You need sleep," D whispered, moving the sword that was strapped to her back a little to make her more comfortable.

Naiona realized that she hadn't moved since the stop at the cemetery—and her back was threatening to bend just a little.

"I'll be fine," she replied coolly, making her back straighten more.

Was that a defeated sigh she heard behind her? Or was it just her imagination that D was disappointed?

~@~

A clearing came into D's vision, making him tap lightly on Naiona's shoulder. She muttered something and yawned, giving him the impression that she had in fact fallen asleep after her last denial.

He looked over her head to get a better look, which wasn't difficult, being that the top of her head came to his chin while riding and a little below the base of his shoulders when standing. Despite her small size, he concluded, she had the attitude to make up for it. Ten fold.

"Let's stay here," she said, looking around the glade. "It looks safe enough."

The moon was full and shining brightly—very brightly. The light touched everything and made it glow in pure white light. The woods offered protection from vampire killers—who were much different than hunters—and gave them security of privacy. Not that they needed any…

When D turned to look at her, Naiona had dismounted and moved to the base of a large tree, whose roots reached up out of the ground. She saw a patch of moss that looked comfortable to sleep on, so she took off her cloak and made a natural mattress for herself. There were only a few hours before sunrise, and she still wanted her rest, even if she _shouldn't _have wanted it.

D leaned against a tall oak that faced hers and placed his sword beside him. He watched the woman lay down and begin to fall asleep when he decided to take a walk and clear his head. He had to get away from her, if only for a while.

Sunrise. That's what he waited for. That's when they could get out of these woods, and _fast_.

~@~

"D?"

"What do you want?" he asked, splashing his face with cool water in a spring that he found just inside the woods.

"You like her, don't you?"

He didn't respond. Right now was not the time he wanted to talk about his personal life to his hand.

"C'mon, admit it! You _know_ you do. Her long, star-kissed hair makes you want to tangle your fingers into it, doesn't it? Her pale skin, you just want to caress it. Those lips… you'd do anything to taste them, wouldn't you? And that neck…"

_That's not like. It's lust. _"For a parasite, you sure do live up to the name."

The hand didn't pay attention. He wanted to get D angry, more because no one could get him angry.

"Don't think you can't fall in love, D. Just look at her," he said as they neared her sleeping body. "She's immortal, too, remember? She. Can't. Die. You two can live together forever, without worrying about getting old or ending up like Leila did." Lefty sighed. "You have another dun peal ten feet away from you—possibly the only other on the planet—and you're questioning yourself?"

"I'll clap," D threatened, his hands poised for the action. He thought her could never love again, even if the woman was immortal. Leila made him sensitive to the feeling and he realized he never wanted it again.

Maybe.

~@~

An ear-piercing howl woke Naiona from her light slumber. She heard D moving around and dared to open her eyes.

Black and brown wolves surrounded the glade, their yellow and green eyes glaring at D and Naiona. Humans—even halflings—had entered their territory before and they weren't happy.

The last time the race of humans came, the wolves were driven out of their homes, into cages that later their ancestors broke free from, destroying all their captors. They slaughtered those who weren't their captors as well, which made them inferior in their gods' eyes, who banished them in these woods forever.

The beasts came closer, growling and gnashing their teeth. One of the members of the pack lashed out, teeth bearing. The head of the clan snarled at him, making him retreat to the back with his tail between his legs.

They were only a few feet from D and Naiona, white foam and glazed eyes fixed on them. 

Naiona reacted, pulling from her cloak a silver-bullet, seven-caliber gun. She aimed it at the closest wolf to the leader and fired, watching as the bullet passed through his skull and passed through to the other side, skinning the fur off the leader. It howled in pain while the shot wolf collapsed, the silver making its way through the wolf's system and making it fall on top of the other wolf, infected by a deadly metal.

D stood and watched, his sword drawn in front of him. The wolves began to sink back, away from the two hunters.

Suddenly, a high-pitched scream echoed through the forest, but sounded chillingly close. The wolves back away farther and looked up and around them for the source of the scream, their yellow and green eyes mirrored in fear.

A wolf, different from the others with its white fur and gold eyes, jumped into the glade in front of Naiona and D, its size outnumbering the others. Its lip curled up, revealing pearly white canines and an angry snarl.

The others stood their ground for a few moments, but soon realized that they couldn't defeat the large white wolf. They left, occasionally turning around to look back, their heads hanging low.

Once they were out of sight, the wolf turned to face a gun-laden Naiona. The wolf's gold eyes widened; a smirk lay on its muzzle.

The wolf howled, changing into a laughing young woman. Her flowing white hair cascaded down her back to her calves, a loose dress of white silk fell around her shoulders, creating the illusion of a light goddess.

Her laughter carried through the trees and seemed to echo for miles.

"Please put that contraption away. I shan't want anyone to fall ill." Naiona was struck by her voice, which seemed as quiet as a whisper, but she could hear it very clearly. She put the gun away, slowly.

A delicate hand pushed some of the white hair from her face, her mouth open and smiling.

"Welcome to my glade. Haven't any fear—I shan't harm thee. They call me the Lady of Light. Thee shall come to find that I bring peace and justice to those who come here."

D watched, somewhat stunned by the beauty of the woman. Yet he continued to listen, keeping one eye on her and one of Naiona.

"Here, dear child," she said taking a silver ring from one of her delicate fingers. "It has caused me discomfort for years, but I had not found the right one to wear it. Please take it as a gift; use it as an amulet, and when in undesirable circumstances, call on me."

Naiona fought the urge to roll her eyes. How could this skinny woman of peace possibly do any damage in a fight?

"Do not misjudge me, girl!" the lady yelled, the leaves on trees rustled violently to the very tone of her voice. "I _am_ the mage Agélus, and I have very powerful majik." The ring that was settled in her hand rose into the air, turning in a small circle. It melted and shifted until it made the shape of a wolf, then glowed a fiery red. It stopped spinning, but came towards Naiona, steam rising off the hot metal.

It pressed against the inside of her wrist and she screamed in pain. The searing pain became unbearable pleasure as the metal was no longer heat, but the desire to feed, which she hadn't done since she bit her…

Another scream rose from her throat, this time low and sob-like. D came to her, watching the metal sink into her skin. The spot bled around the metal, making him want to taste her. He glared up at Agélus.

"What was the purpose of this?" he said between clenched teeth, his hand rested on the scabbard of his sword.

"To you, this looks painful. To her, it is pleasurable. I must leave you now." Agélus' golden eyes looked down upon D. "If she is ever in need of my majik, tell her to burn the marking. I will come to her."  
  


The woman tucked a piece of hair behind her canine ear, closing her beautiful eyes. She said a phrase of ancient language that sounded elfish to D, and disappeared into the light of dawn.

"D…" Naiona whispered, her injured wrist over her eyes to hide the sunlight. "I feel so weak."

He knew what this meant. Carefully placing her on his shoulder, D picked up their belongings and put them on his horse, pulling them deeper into the forest.

"It's time to feed," he told her quietly.

~@~

A/n: Next chapter is my favorite, everyone! I like to hear your comments and questions, so press that little blue button, okay? ^.^


	4. The Feast

A/n: My favorite chapter, folks! Heh heh… time for the feed!! ^.^ All right, if I must, I must. On with the disclaimer.

Disclaimer: I don't own Vampire Hunter D or any of the related characters from the movie. I do, however, own Naiona, Agélus and any other characters not related to the original Vampire Hunter D movie "Bloodlust". 

Thanks: to all reviewers. Thank you so much for helping this story move along. I assure you that it will be great!

Chapter IV- The Feast

   D knelt in the stone cave he found to keep harsh sunlight's rays off Naiona's pale skin. She stood as he knelt, looking around at her surroundings. Her eyes stopped on D's neck, which he had unknowingly exposed.

   Hunger pulsed through her, tempting her to suck him dry. She could do it, she noticed, for it seemed he was oblivious to her.

   D felt her presence come closer to him, emotion going out of control. Was she really so hungry that she couldn't wait for him to kill an animal first?

   She moved towards him in a trace-like stance, her wild eyes trained on his most vulnerable area. Not even knowing what she was doing, she knelt behind him, not aware of anything but the driven thirst for fresh blood.

   Her left hand cradled the left side of his neck. D almost didn't realize what was happening to himself. He pulled her tender wrist up to his lips.

   "Naiona," he whispered, letting his fangs delve into her wrist slowly, savoring the sweet yet metallic flavor of her blood.

   He drank quickly, she noticed, and made her weaker still. Naiona's mouth kissed his neck slightly before she tasted his blood.

   _Cinnamon_, she thought as her fangs began to pull from her canines._ He tastes like cinnamon and apples…_

   She forgot everything as her fangs buried deep into his flesh. He let go, but only for a moment, to realize what it was like to be bitten.

   _Have I never been kissed by a vampire before?_ he asked himself, Naiona's curled hands in his. Had he never drank? he asked again, thinking back to his past. He had from animals, but nothing—absolutely _nothing_—as sweet and soothing as this girl.

   He didn't drink anymore, since he felt a pang of guilt for not letting go sooner. _Younger vampires drink much slower than elders do,_ he reminded himself.

   Naiona continued to drink, unaware of how much she was taking. She knew only of how good it tasted and how long it had been…

   D felt his energy begin to diminish. He didn't want to move her, for fear of taking her away so soon, yet he knew that she would have to be woken out of her trance soon if he wanted any energy for traveling that night.

   A cold shiver went through Naiona's body. She was being awoken, but by who? It wasn't D…she didn't think. A hard clamp of pain etched into her shoulder and she screamed, letting go of D's neck. Then she saw darkness and fell into a peaceful sleep.

   D took away his hand from her shoulder and smirked at the woman who lay in his arms. She would be fine in a few hours, he reassured himself.

   "Thank you," he said to the quiet darkness.

   "Always to be of service, D."

~@~

A/n: I know, it's short. I'm working on the next one, okay? Please review!


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